How to Set Up Artwork Files for Trade Show Graphics

Most graphics problems are file problems, and nearly all of them are caught at the artwork stage rather than the printing stage. This is the specification sheet we wish every client had before they started designing.

Resolution: think in viewing distance, not DPI

The most persistent myth in large format printing is that everything needs 300 DPI. It does not, and insisting on it produces unusable file sizes for large graphics.

Resolution requirements scale with viewing distance. A backwall is viewed from six to ten feet away; a table throw is viewed from two feet. Useful targets at final size:

• Backwalls and large banners (viewed 6 ft+): 100–150 DPI at final size
• Banner stands and counter graphics (viewed 3–6 ft): 150 DPI
• Table throws, tabletop panels, close-viewed detail (arm's length): 200–300 DPI

The critical phrase throughout is at final size. A 150 DPI file at 10 inches wide is not a 150 DPI file for a 10-foot banner — it is a 1.25 DPI file. If your design software supports it, build at half or quarter scale and double the DPI accordingly, then note the scale factor clearly in the filename.

And the rule that no software can get around: upscaling does not create detail. Enlarging a small image to fit adds pixels, not information. Always start from the largest original you have — the raw camera file, not the one already sized for your website.

Bleed and safe area

Bleed is artwork extending past the trim line so that no white edge appears if the cut shifts slightly. Materials stretch and move during printing, hemming, and finishing — some movement is unavoidable.

• Bleed: minimum 0.5 inch on all sides for large format. More for sewn or hemmed edges — ask us for the spec on your specific product.
• Safe area: keep logos, text, and anything critical at least 2 inches inside the visible edge. Not the trim edge — the visible edge.

That distinction matters most on retractable banner stands and tension fabric graphics, where hardware conceals part of the graphic. A banner stand's cassette hides the bottom few inches; a fabric graphic wraps around the frame edge. Every product on our banner stands pages lists both the full graphic size and the live area. Design to the live area.

Color: CMYK, and manage your expectations about blue

Build in CMYK, not RGB. Your monitor emits light and can display colors that no ink can reproduce; printing reflects light and works in a smaller gamut. Converting late means colors shift at the last moment, usually unfavorably.

The colors that shift most: bright saturated blues (frequently the biggest disappointment — vivid screen blue tends to print duller and more purple), neon greens, and bright oranges.

If exact brand color matters — and for a booth it usually does — supply Pantone references rather than screen values, and request a printed proof before a full run. A proof costs a little and prevents an expensive reprint of an entire backwall in the wrong blue.

Fonts and vectors

Supply logos and type as vector artwork wherever possible. Vectors scale to any size with no quality loss, which is exactly what large format demands.

Before sending, either convert text to outlines or embed the fonts. Unembedded fonts get substituted by whichever font the printing system has, and the first you will know about it is when the proof arrives with the wrong typeface. Converting to outlines is the safer option — just keep an editable copy with live text for future revisions.

File format and delivery

A press-ready PDF is the preferred format: it packages vectors, images, and color profiles together predictably. Also acceptable are packaged Illustrator or InDesign files with all links and fonts included, or flattened TIFF/PSD at correct size and resolution for photographic work.

Avoid: JPEGs pulled from a website, anything embedded in a Word document or PowerPoint deck, and screenshots. These come up more often than you would think, and none of them can be rescued into print quality.

Name files so a stranger can identify them: CompanyName_BannerStand_33x79_FINAL.pdf beats final_v3_actualfinal.pdf.

Design decisions that matter at booth scale

Beyond file specs, a few things consistently determine whether a graphic works on a show floor:

• One message. Attendees give a booth two seconds from the aisle. One clear statement of what you do beats a paragraph nobody reads.
• Type big. Your headline should be legible from 15 feet. If you are squinting at it on screen at 25% zoom, it is too small.
• Contrast over subtlety. Convention lighting is harsh and inconsistent. Low-contrast palettes that look sophisticated on a monitor disappear on a show floor.
• Keep the lower third clear-ish. Counters, furniture, and standing staff routinely block the bottom of a backwall. Put critical content at eye level and above.

The short version

• CMYK, press-ready PDF, built at final size (or a clearly labeled scale)
• 150 DPI at final size for most display graphics; higher for close viewing
• 0.5 inch bleed all round; critical content 2 inches inside the visible edge
• Design to the live area, not the full graphic size
• Vector logos and type; fonts outlined or embedded
• Pantone references for brand colors; proof before a long run

If you would rather hand this off entirely, our graphics team handles design and production together — and we will review any file you send before it goes to press, flagging problems while they are still cheap to fix. Send it over.